Biden gives ‘closing message’ for midterms in Democratic National Committee speech
by Brett Samuels - 10/24/22 2:17 PM ET
President Biden on Monday shared what he dubbed his “closing argument” for Democrats ahead of the midterms, contrasting Democratic and Republican policies to frame next month’s election as a stark choice that would shape the country’s future for decades.
“I’m here to deliver what I believe is a closing argument about what we need to do in the next 15 days to make a victory assured and make it clear that this election is … not a referendum, it’s a choice,” Biden said in remarks to a group of Democratic National Committee (DNC) volunteers, staffers and donors. “Everybody wants to make it a referendum, but it’s a choice between two vastly different visions for America.”
Biden used his speech to an enthusiastic group of supporters to lay out a laundry list of what Democrats have accomplished in the last 18 months and compared it to proposals from some Republicans should they retake control of Congress.
The president touted passage of legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs and health care premiums that did not garner a single Republican vote. He also vowed Democrats would protect reproductive rights, the right to privacy and the right to vote, though Democrats have been unable to codify any of those things with such a narrow Senate majority.
Additionally, Biden argued he inherited a struggling economy and a nation without a plan to combat the coronavirus pandemic and enacted a massive plan to vaccinate millions of Americans, while pushing an economic agenda that led to a sharp decline in unemployment and a boost in small-business applications.
Biden also highlighted the passage of a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package that he called the “most consequential infrastructure bill since Eisenhower’s interstate highway system.”
And while Biden acknowledged inflation and rising costs are a problem for many Americans, he noted the U.S. has a lower inflation rate than most other countries.
“What are they running on?” Biden asked of Republicans. “If they win, what do they say they’ll do? Well I have to hand it to them, they’re saying it out loud. They’re so confident they’re going to win they’re saying it without an ounce of shame.”
Biden noted House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and others have said they will push to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, a bill passed in August that lowered prescription drug prices and included billions in funding for programs to combat climate change.
He also targeted pledges from Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and other Republicans to reassess Social Security and Medicare spending on a regular basis and pledged he would reject any plan to cut those benefits.
Meanwhile, the president argued Republicans majorities would vote to ban abortion nationally, though such a measure would be vetoed.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3702021-biden-gives-closing-message-for-midterms-in-democratic-national-committee-speech/
